Vail opens China, Tea Cup Bowls ahead of the Christmas rush

Vail opened China and Tea Cup Bowls to the skiing public on Friday, bringing the mountain’s available skiable terrain to nearly 2,750 acres. Here’s a statement from Vail:

“More great news for skiers and riders! Following heroic efforts by Vail Mountain’s Ops Team… China Bowl and Tea Cup Bowl are OPEN for the season! Guests started enjoying the immense terrain of China Bowl and the hidden gems of Tea Cup Bowl at resort opening on December 15, 2023. Orient Express (21) and Tea Cup Express (36) also opened for the season. This news brings Vail Mountain’s open terrain to 2,742 acres, and it is the perfect news for guests planning weekend and holiday ski travel. Vail Mountain continues to work under blue skies, preparing the resort’s 5,317 acres for skiers and riders.”

However, it may be a while before snow riders see any freshies on all that terrain:

“The good news is that most mountain areas of Colorado have a decent snowpack and a reasonable amount of terrain available to ride,” Opensnow.com meteorologist Joel Gratz wrote Friday. “The bad news is that chances are low for significant snow between now and Christmas. We may see one or two storms between December 21-25, though the most likely scenario is for most of the snow to stay south and west of Colorado.